Controlling 'databases'....

[SarahMN]

Micromedex a medical software program insists on putting the 10MB of databases in the main memory. When I describe them as databses I mean that they become part of the OS similar to the other data objects Windows Mobile stores in databases. It is such a waste, when I have a 1 GB Storage Card. Is there any way to hack the registry to put the databses on the storage card?

Thanks.

Sarah

[Menneisyys]

Is there any way to hack the registry to put the databses on the storage card?


Unfortunately, no.

However, you can dynamically export/import databases into/from textual files, which, on the other hand, can be stored on your memory card. Then, you'll only need to import the datbase into your main memory with, say, Pocket dbExplorer (http://www.phatware.com/hpcdbex.html), before starting Micromedex and just delete the database after exiting it.

Unfrotunately, tools like MortRunner (http://www.sto-helit.de/index.html) or nScriptm (http://www.geocities.com/s_k_s_k_s_kru/util.html#nscript) don't (yet) support loading into databases (version v.0.86 of nScriptm only support listing and deleting them, but not importing). With them, it'd be very easy to write a MortRunner/nScriptm script/command file that looks like the following:

import_system_database("Micromedex_db", "\SD Card\Micromedex_db.csv");
run "\SD Card\Micromedex\Micromedex.exe";
delete_system_database("Micromedex_db");


You may, however, want to contact the authors of these two tools about implementing this feature. It'd be really great to have this kind of functionality, especially with programs like Micromedex, to eliminate the need for manual import of the database from inside Pocket dbExplorer before starting Micromedex (deletion of system databases can already be done with nScriptm).

Please let me know if neither of the two developers want to add this functionality to their apps and I consider writing a free tool like this myself.

[SarahMN]

I have emailed Micromedex and they are not interested in storing their databases anywhere else than in the Main Memory which really is too bad. They have the best drug database and a great Interactions program, but I can't let 10+MB just sit in the main memory.


In the script could you actually open the Micromedex program as well? So I would only have one icon to click?

[Menneisyys]

I have emailed Micromedex and they are not interested in storing their databases anywhere else than in the Main Memory which really is too bad. They have the best drug database and a great Interactions program, but I can't let 10+MB just sit in the main memory.

In the script could you actually open the Micromedex program as well? So I would only have one icon to click?

Well, first, try to contact the authors of MortRunner and nScriptm. It'd be far better if these well-known, highly popular and widely used apps contained some kind of sophisticated WinCE DB export/import than writing a third application that only knows DB export/import. I can certainly write an app myself some day, but it won't be in the near future as I'm heavily overloaded with work. They may have more time than me :)

[Menneisyys]

I can certainly write an app myself some day

Today I have looked into the problem more thoroughly. Unfortunately, accessing the WinCE databases is pretty hard from managed (CF) code unless you use the commercial ADOCE library ( http://www.inthehand.com/ADOCE.aspx ). This means you should ask the authors of the two above-mentioned scriping apps to implement at least database import.